


our fraying edges on the mend

by kimaracretak



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/F, Hair-pulling, Missing Scene, Post-Battle Sex, Scars, allura is Very Brainbad i've decided she's ours, i have Thoughts abt how this fandom rates its femslash and the more i have the less i like it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-16
Updated: 2017-02-16
Packaged: 2018-09-24 12:43:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9727382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kimaracretak/pseuds/kimaracretak
Summary: (so the means to the end / was the peace that was meant / to be ours since it all began): Allura reaches out without opening her eyes, a small smile curling across her lips as she traces the dents and scars of Kima's chestplate. "You're back," she murmurs, before the reality of that sets into her sleepy mind and she sits straight up, eyes flying open. "Oh gods, Kima, you're back."Or; The post-Thordak sex everyone's favourite battle girlfriends deserve





	

**Author's Note:**

> Title + summary quote from Epica, '[Our Destiny](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuP_hNi-UPY)'
> 
> Allura was wearing fun buns at breakfast because Kima comma A Girlfriend tried and failed to disguise her sex hair I will fight about this

Sometimes Allura thinks she hasn't slept soundly since she was a child. Too many nights spent restless, not so much balanced on the line between sleep and further study as clutching desperately at it. Too many nights knowing that trusting your companions with your life in battle is nothing like trusting them at night under an open sky or in an unfamiliar inn.

She never learned to sleep easily in Emon, either. First it was the empty space beside her where Kima used to lie, then it was habit, then it was the enemies that everyone on the Council acquired simply by virtue of their title.

Now, of course, it's Thordak, again, and even on the nights Kima wraps her entire body around her under blankets not wholly suited to keep out Whitestone's chill, Allura spends too many hours watching the sky fall. 

Worse are the nights she spends alone, nights when Kima's off with Vox Machina and it's almost like those years in Emon again, keeping the realm safe because that's all she can do for Kima and it still feels like it could never possibly be enough. Worst of all is the night they leave to fight Thordak himself, and Allura is left to pace their small house round and around, wrestling with the hard cold knot of guilt and relief and terror that's settled in her chest.

She dresses for bed with the expectation that she won't sleep a bit but with the knowledge that she has to _try_ , and feels she's barely closed her eyes when a very heavy, very familiar weight lands on the bed next to her. 

Allura reaches out without opening her eyes, a small smile curling across her lips as she traces the dents and scars of Kima's chestplate. "You're back," she murmurs, before the reality of that sets into her sleepy mind and she sits straight up, eyes flying open. "Oh gods, Kima, you're back."

"I promised," Kima says, lacing her fingers with Allura's and bringing their joined hands up so she can kiss her knuckles. "He's dead, Allie. He's never going to hurt anyone ever again."

She had known, Allura thinks, as soon as she had felt Kima land on their bed she had _known_ , because Kima never, _never_  breaks her promises. Still she hears herself sob as she launches herself forward to envelop Kima in her arms, heedless of the hard metal armour that makes her shiver as it presses against her thin nightgown. Kima smells like sweat and smoke and fire and _victory_ and Allura never wants to let her go.

"Thank you," she whispers, face buried in Kima's hair, and for once she doesn't know how to finish her sentence. Thank you for doing what I couldn't. Thank you for coming back. Thank you for letting me love you, here at what might no longer be the end of the world.

"I know," Kima says, and her tears are hot against Allura's skin. "I know, I know, Allie, we're fine. We're gonna be fine."

Allura loosens her grip just enough that she can settle back on her heels and tip Kima's head up just enough that she can kiss her fiercely, as if she can give Kima all the love and devotion and relief that her heart can't hold anymore as easily as she can slip her tongue past Kima's parted lips. "You know," she says when they part, both breathing heavily, and Kima swallows hard and nods.

Kima strips her armour efficiently as she fills in the details of the fight, Allura helping when her tired fingers falter. It's a ritual they perfected in their days adventuring together, one their hands couldn't forget if they wanted to, and the familiarity is a comfort.

Finally Kima curls into her side with a happy sigh, and Allura traces the hard lines of her body through her shift and lets herself revel in the simplicity of having Kima home again, even if it's only for a night before Vox Machina goes after Raishan as well. She's almost content to stay here until breakfast at the castle, but a thought occurs to her.

"Did you lock the door when you came in?"

Kima presses a soft kiss to her forehead. "Always, Allie."

"Can —" she breaks off, her voice very small. It's a silly thing to ask, when Thordak is dead and Whitestone is shielded and Kima is back home safe in their bed. "Can I check?" She asks anyway, and is glad Kima can't see her cheeks burning in the dark.

Kima sits up, offers her hand. "Yeah. C'mon."

The door is indeed locked, like part of her — the part that's never loud enough, never has been — knew, and Allura sinks to her knees there in the entryway, wraps her arms around Kima and tucks her head into the crook of her neck and hopes that says everything she can't find words for right now. She can feel Kima pressing soft kisses to her hairline, feel Kima's hands so warm against her back she thinks for a moment she could fall asleep right here as long as Kima didn't move.

"Alright, you," Kima chuckles, her breath warm against Allura's cheek. "Back to bed, yeah?"

Allura hums in agreement but makes to move to get up.

"This is your own fault, then," Kima says, and that's all the warning Allura has before she's swept up in Kima's arms.

She squeaks in surprise at the sudden movement, before looping her arms around Kima's neck and taking advantage of her position to kiss her, soft and lazy. "So it is. What was that about bed?"

Kima groans affectionately as she walks them back to the bedroom and settles Allura gently on the mattress. "Bed for _you_ ," she smiles. " _I_ was going to have a bath."

"Not yet," Allura says, surprising herself somewhat as she tugs Kima down to lie next to her. Usually she's the one to insist on baths before anything else after a battle, but not tonight. Now that Kima's home, she doesn't want to let her go even that far.

A brief look of confusion crosses Kima's face before Allura reaches up to cup her breasts, playing idly with her nipples through the thin cotton shift. "Oh," she sighs. "Allie, are you —"

" _Positive_ ," she reassures her, silencing any further protest with a kiss. Every kiss tonight feels like a beginning she needs as much as breathing and is just as terrifying, and she never wants to stop. "Want you home," she murmurs, tugging at the bottom of Kima's shift. "All of you."

"Well," Kima smiles, open and loving and a little bit smug, and kneels up and raises her arms so Allura can slip the garment up and off. "All of me's right here."

It's not quite an echo of their conversation after Kima returned from the Underdark, and Allura shivers. Kima's body is a roadmap of scars, every one of them a reminder that that's not a given.

"Hey," Kima says softly, like she knows exactly what Allura's thinking. "All of these —" she takes Allura's hand in both of hers, presses the palm against each of the scars in turn "— all of these are things I've survived to come back. I'll _always_  come back." She guides Allura's hand lower, through coarse curls and further, to where Allura isn't really surprised she's already wet. "To you. To _this._ "

Her voice is heavy with all the promise of a paladin's oath, and it's that more than anything that breaks Allura as she sinks one finger into Kima's familiar heat, and she's sure she's crying as she rests her cheek against Kima's shoulder. It's an awkward angle, but Allura can't bring herself to care as they settle into a quick, easy rhythm.

Kima's quieter than she used to be when they did this in the past, less post-battle adrenaline and more relief at being alive. It's new, like so much of their rediscovery of each other, and Allura loves it, loves each new breathy sigh she finds she can draw from Kima as she flicks her clit with her thumb, reaches around her body with her other hand to play with her breast.

She hesitates with a second finger even though Kima's cunt is slick under her hand, presses the tip just slightly against her entrance. "Okay?"

Allura feels rather than sees her nod. "Okay, yeah, _so_  okay, Allie..." Her last word trails off in a moan and Allura smiles, kisses her shoulder and moves her fingers a little faster.

"Beautiful," Allura murmurs, circling Kima's clit determinedly with her thumb, smiling against Kima's skin as she shivers with each breath. "Beautiful, beautiful, safe and sound."

Kima cries out at that, tugs at Allura's hair where it fans over her hip. "Safe and yours," she agrees breathlessly. "Allie, I'm — kiss me, _please._ "

Kima likes being kissed when she comes, and Allura likes kissing her through it, feeling every moan and whimper against her mouth, all of her sweet and hot and _alive._ "I'm here," she whispers as Kima pulls at her hair, pinpricks of pain sparking across her scalp like light, like Kima, like _love_. Kima's mouth meets hers, hot and hungry as Allura presses down harder against her clit, feels her thighs shake where they're clamped tight around her wrist.

"Allie," Kima whines between kisses, and the edge of desperation in her voice is beautiful. "Allie, c'mon, I'm —"

"I know," Allura says, and swallows Kima's inevitable _you know_  with one more kiss, curls her fingers in the way that never fails to leave Kima completely undone beneath her, and is rewarded with a rush of wetness against her hand as Kima whimpers into the kiss and comes hard, her entire body arching up under Allura's and sending delicious shivers down her spine when their nipples brush together.

Allura eases her fingers out slowly as Kima stops trembling, licks them clean as Kima shifts to the side to watch with eyes still wide and dark with desire. "Safe and mine," she says, like she still can't quite believe it. "Until Raishan."

"And after," Kima says firmly, in the tone that she always uses when she thinks Allura's getting too deep in her own head. "But," she takes Allura's still damp hand and kisses each fingertip in turn, "We can talk about that in the bath."


End file.
